A short film created by Hell's Kitchen resident Anna Pacman shines a comedic light on the daily struggles of New Yorkers living with disabilities.
wheelchair moneywas produced for that year's Easter Seals Failure Film Challenge in the genre “buddy comedy”. The film follows Johnny, played by Jesse Chin, and his best friend Whitney (Pamela Rae Schuler) as they embark on an epic hero's journey from Manhattan to Brooklyn to sell Johnny a rare Beanie Baby that will help buy him new powers. . wheelchair.
“You're not listening to me. What's the point of getting insurance if you can't get a new wheelchair?” In the first shot, Johnny speaks to his insurance company on speakerphone from his living room. I'll ask you a question.
“I don't care what the doctor says. Rules are rules, bro,” the agent replied sarcastically, holding up the console. The walls of his office are covered with praise and affirmations, such as: “Don't forget our shareholders,” one person read, while another reminded them, “But you refused!!”
The provider explained to Johnny that he was ineligible for the power chair because he weighed “169 pounds” and was “skinny” and that he needed to weigh at least 300 pounds to qualify.
Following their rejection, Johnny and Whitney take to the streets, but encounter countless obstacles along the way. First, the subway elevators are “full of piss.” Then, when a yellow cab refuses them a ride, Whitney yells, “It's an all-hands-on-deck club, buddy!” After deciding to go by their own means, Johnny's wheelchair loses power halfway across the Brooklyn Bridge.
Much of the film's story is autobiographical for Anna, she told W42ST. In her movie, Johnny uses her own wheelchair, but in real life, her insurance company refused to pay for her wheelchair because of her weight.
“In my head, I have this image of them just being indifferent and not understanding,” Anna said. “They don't want to care about the real human consequences of the decisions they make, and yet they sit there and play video games” — at least in a “comedic depiction.”
Anna experienced some of her own plot lines during the production of the film. While filming the Brooklyn Bridge scene, she ordered her Uber for her crew, but the car could only fit one wheelchair, leaving her herself with another form of transportation. became.
“I saw this yellow taxi on the street. It had an accessible symbol on the bonnet and a light on to show it was free,” she said. “Usually in movies there's a reason why I don't want to get into a yellow taxi, because in my experience about one in three people refuse me and often I can't stop. Because there isn't.
This time was no exception. “The driver came out and took one look at me. And he was like, 'Oh, that's too heavy,'” Anna said. “I thought, 'Oh no, that's why this car has a ramp.' You don't have to do anything, just take the ramp off.” He told her the ramp wasn't working and she Despite being warned that he would be fined if he refused to ride due to his disability, he drove off.
“I think in the fact that we're having these conversations, even though the city has made a lot of progress, this is very emblematic of a lot of the issues that we still have. '' Anna said. “Ten years ago, [almost] There are no taxis available. ”
This is Anna's fifth year participating in the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. She sees this as a great opportunity to encourage actors and filmmakers from the disability community. According to the CDC, by 2022, disability-related themes will account for only 4.4% of all video titles, even though up to 1 in 4 adults in the United States have some form of disability. People with disabilities consistently receive less air time than people without disabilities.
“This is a great loss and a great sense of authenticity,” Anna said. She said a lack of representation also prevents people with disabilities from getting roles in Hollywood.
“Everyone in the cast has some type of disability,” Anna added. “It’s a really great opportunity to be part of this pipeline and increase visibility, but it also increases the chances for people to actually get jobs in the industry.”
